


Flushed For You

by PikaPikaPikaPikachu



Category: Homestuck, MS Paint Adventures
Genre: Beta Read, Beta-read, F/M, Female Reader, Flushcrush, Karkat Vantas (mentioned) - Freeform, Or Is It?, Reader Insert, Reader-Insert, She/her pronouns, Troll Reader, Unrequited Love, almost panic attacks, kankri vantas - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:49:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27715691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PikaPikaPikaPikachu/pseuds/PikaPikaPikaPikachu
Summary: Kankri Vantas finds himself at another human nightclub with his flushcrush, and though he struggles with expressing himself when it comes to quadrants, he's more than willing to try for you.
Relationships: Kankri Vantas/Reader
Kudos: 13





	Flushed For You

**Author's Note:**

> Beta read by CozyKotatsu (highly recommended author btw) when it was still an OC/Kankri fic! Hopefully there aren't too many artifacts left over. Please comment if there are and I'll fix it ASAP!

Kankri’s milky white eyes scanned the human ‘nightclub’, as it was called, cautiously surveying the large and noisy room. He hadn’t yet spotted the person he was looking for, which, he supposed, he expected. By his best guess, she was probably still on the dancefloor with some of her friends, and yet, when he glanced in that direction, he still didn’t see her. Growing a bit disquieted by this, he sipped his soda, which was the only non-alcoholic drink the establishment had besides water. Of course, it wasn’t exactly his cup of tea, but he figured the extra caffeine would be needed for how long he’d be staying out with them, watching them party until they decided they needed him, being that he was the designated driver. He’d need to lecture them, once more, about how uncomfortable and triggering he found the whole situation.

He huffed softly to himself, tucking his knees up in the booth he was sitting in, under his candy-red sweater, dipping his nose and mouth beneath his collar. As long as everyone stayed away from him, everything would be fine.

“Kankri!” a voice chirruped, called as though the speaker were searching for him.

Perking up, Kankri leaned towards the sound, recognizing it as the voice of the girl he’d been looking for earlier. A slight rush of relief loosened his nerves, and he found himself glad that she was still there with them, not having left yet with her kismesis.

You suddenly popped up, leering around the side of the booth, grinning with sharp, fang-like teeth. Your cheeks were flushed softly with blush, perfectly complementing your warm, slightly glazed over, yellowy eyes. Kankri felt his blood pusher jump into his throat, and he squirmed backward, hand reflexively flying to the whistle hooked around his neck on a string. Seeming to abruptly remember just who you were talking to, you stepped back and straightened up, though swaying back and forth just barely enough to be noticeable.

“Uh, haha,” you paused, giggling, trying to organize your thoughts, “Triggers include, uhm, dancing, questions, and… other stuff.”

He sighed, biting his lip sharply to resist the urge to at least attempt to correct just how many triggers you could’ve skipped over, instead forcing himself to say, “Triggers acknowledged. What is it you’re trying to ask?”

“Do you wanna dance?” you smiled, eyes half-lidded in glee, causing Kankri’s pulser to beat faster.

Kankri thought on the proposition for a few moments. Dancing meant touching, which was an absolute no-go for him, but at the same time, he did want to spend time with you. That, and you were obviously tipsy, at the very least, meaning that it would be prudent for him to watch over you. At the same time, he hadn’t properly told you all his triggers, so you were more than likely going to trigger him if you were to engage in any sort of dancing.

You cleared your throat awkwardly, bringing Kankri back to the present. He rubbed the back of his neck, stomach bubbling with anxiety and uncertainty.

“I suppose,” he finally squeaked out.

Before he’d even registered what was happening, Kankri found himself on the dancefloor, surrounded by dozens of other people and trolls. His breathing shortened, catching in his throat, a sudden spark of agitation clouding his mind. Kankri’s skin burned underneath his sweater, hands curling sharply into shaky fists as he jerked his arms inward, away from the people around him.

“Kankri?” Your inquisitive voice piped up, accompanied by a hand on his elbow.

He yelped, yanking his arm away, feeling cornered in the seemingly shrinking space. Kankri shifted his feet nervously, grinding his teeth, shoulders taut. Time felt slow and syrupy around him, and it made his throat fill with acid. You looked around, before motioning to the DJ, doing a peculiar motion that they nodded at. Within seconds, the music had stopped and a slower, more relaxed song began playing. Kankri recognized it, being that it was a song he was quite fond of, and, much to his relief, the dancefloor began to empty, save for a few couples staying back to dance to the new, slower melody.

After taking a few deep breaths, Kankri stared down at you, relief in his dull, pale eyes, quietly saying, “Thank you.”

Smiling, you nodded, “It’s fine. You still wanna dance?”

A burble of guilt filled Kankri’s chest, and he shakily reached a hand towards you, nodding, “I, ah, triggers could include, but are not limited to, t…  _ touching _ , dancing, and potential anxiety attacks.”

Taking note of that, you very carefully moved Kankri’s outstretched hand to your shoulder, and the opposite one to your hip, mirroring the position with your own hands on him. Despite being tipsy and a bit out of it, you still managed to respect his boundaries better than most of the trolls he interacted with on a near-daily basis. He made a mental note of using you as an example when he lectured the others again.

The weight of your hand on his shoulder felt simultaneously like a feather and like a brick, the coolness of your hand seeping into his sweater, through to his skin, like ice water. He shivered, pursing his lips tightly and moving stiffly along to the music, as if he were a teenage boy at one of those Earth ‘prom’s. You, however, seemed not to mind, swaying with him and matching his pace. The repetitive movements were almost hypnotic to him, calming him a bit, forcing his shoulders to loosen.

“Hey, Kankri?” you mumbled, just barely understandable, “Triggers for, uh, the usual I guess, but I had a question for you.”

Gulping dryly, he spoke in an equally soft voice, replying, “I’ll answer it, if it’s not something triggering or generally upsetting.”

“I don’t think it is,” you chuckled, looking away, not making eye contact, your tone turning a tad somber as you spoke, “but, just in case, it’s, ah, it’s about quadrants. The flushed one, specifically.”

“What about it?” Kankri raised a brow, wondering why you’d come to him of all people about that sort of stuff.

“Well, there’s this guy, and I’ve had a flushcrush on him for a really, really long time, but he doesn’t feel the same way,” you admitted, embarrassed.

_ ‘A… flushcrush? On a guy? Who?’ _ Kankri thought to himself, mind reeling from the information you’d given him,  _ ‘What kind of guy wouldn’t like you back? Wait, it wasn’t him, was it? No, it couldn’t be. It was probably--’ _

“It’s Karkat,” you clarified, voice wrought with rejection, “I confessed to him recently, but he doesn’t feel the same. I just don’t know what to do with myself, now.”

Kankri’s throat tightened, stomach pulsing as if he’d just been punched. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. Comforting you had to be his main priority, it had to be, he couldn’t focus on his own feelings in that moment.

“He doesn’t deserve you,” he blurted out, unthinking, surprising the both of you by how bluntly he said it. Anger and resentment crept up on him, causing him to tighten his grip on your waist and shoulder, continuing, “He’s a good-for-nothing, problematic creature. You deserve better. You know that, don’t you? What does he have--”

Reaching up, he stopped himself, covering his mouth before he could blurt out the rest of that sentence. You paused, stunned, before staring down at your shoes. Kankri internally cursed himself, taking his remaining hand off of you, putting both firmly down at his sides, gently prying your’s off in the process.

“What I mean to say,” he spoke slower, taking care to choose his words properly, “is that--”

“I know what you mean,” you interrupted, taking a step back and looking back up at him, “I think, at least. I don’t know why I’m even worrying about it. It’s not like it’s gonna fix anything. Who even needs a matesprit, right?”

Despite your attempt at an upbeat tone, you still sounded decidedly defeated, small pools of tears forming in your eyes. Kankri’s hands shook with indecision, conflicted on whether or not to move closer. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he pursed his lips and looked at you with steely determination. He reached out, grabbing your hand as the song ended, dragging you off of the dancefloor and back to the booth he was at previously. Though surprised, you followed willingly.

Kankri slid into the booth, having you follow suit. He let go, brushing his hand off on his shirt absentmindedly, saying with a frown, “I apologize for grabbing your hand without your permission. I should’ve warned you ahead of time.”

“It’s fine,” you shrugged with a half-smile, “Why’d you bring me over, anyway?”

“I wanted to talk to you in a more,” he waved his hand in a vague gesture, “private area, I suppose. It’s sort of my job to help my friends, and you seem very upset over this whole flushcrush thing.”

You chuckled mirthlessly, joking, “You could tell?”

“Obviously. It’s written all over your face. I figured telling you about my own, ahem,  _ experiences _ with the flushed quadrant,” he grimaced, cheeks flushing faintly with a cherry tint, “limited as they may be.”

“I didn’t know you had any at all,” you replied, amused, turning to face him easier.

Kankri blushed a bit deeper, a tad embarrassed, “Of course I do. I’ve actually recently come to experience a situation not too dissimilar with your own. Erm, trigger warnings include flushcrushes, unrequited love, celibacy questioning, and more.”

“Unrequited love, huh?” you repeated, eyes widening, “I would’ve never guessed.”

“I keep my feelings hidden very well,” he huffed arrogantly, “My flushcrush has no idea how I feel.”

“Better keep it that way,” you mused, melancholy, “It’s better than being heartbroken.”

Kankri frowned, puffing up his cheeks in a pout, knitting his brows together and protesting, “There’s no guarantee they’ll reject me. And besides, it’s better to get it off my chest, so long as it doesn’t make them uncomfortable.”

Reaching out and stealing Kankri's soda, you sipped his drink, sighing in content and thinking aloud, “Maybe. Maybe I’m just being negative.”

“Maybe you are,” he agreed, scowl deepening, “And maybe you shouldn’t steal drinks, either. I find it very problematic.”

“Sorry,” you chuckled sheepishly, offering a half-smile as you slid it back over to him, glancing away and deflecting, “If you like them, why don’t you confess?”

Fiddling with the ends of his tattered sleeves, Kankri chewed on the inside of his cheek, muttering, “I will. Soon.”

You shrugged, glancing back over, “How do you know you even like them that much, anyway?”

“Because,” he paused, not meeting your gaze, feeling it like a burning ray of heat on his head, “I’m always putting myself out for her. I’m always pushing myself into uncomfortable, triggering, even, situations to make her happy.”

“That doesn’t sound healthy, Kan’,” you frowned, concern showing in your gaze.

“It’s worth it,” he brushed off, “I get to spend more time with her. She tolerates me, and that’s something I’d rather not waste.”

“If you like them so much, you should try to find more comfy stuff to do together. Aren’t you the one always lecturing us on triggering people?” you pointed out, “You can’t just ignore when it happens to you.”

“I’m not,” he squirmed, “It’s a calculated risk. And it’s one I’m willing to take.”

You stared off thoughtfully, commenting, “I get what you mean. I did the same stuff. He, ah, wasn’t into it, though. I just ended up pushing him away by trying too hard.”

Kankri frowned thoughtfully, doubt pooling in his stomach, about to speak when you cut him off before he could start. 

“I don’t know why I even confessed,” you admitted, features flushed with shame, “My feelings were waning, anyway. I was just… I wanted a matesprit so badly I was willing to go after any small change, I guess.”

“I see,” Kankri sighed sympathetically, reaching out his hand, keeping it a few inches away, “You shouldn’t try to force your quadrants full. You should wait until the right person comes along.”

“And what if they don’t?” you replied, closing the distance between your hands, gently interlocking your pinkies.

“You can’t think of it like that,” he softly spoke, cheeks tinged cherry red, finally daring to meet your gaze with his empty, cool eyes, “One day, someone’s going to come along, and they’re going to see you and admire you for who you are. They’re going to want to spend all their time with you, and learn everything they can about you, and--”

“Speaking from experience, I get it,” you chuckled dryly, squeezing his pinkie gently, “I hope, whoever they are, they care about me as much as you care about your flushcrush.”

Kankri grimaced internally, swallowing dryly and outwardly forcing a smile and a nod, “Uh, yes, me too…”


End file.
